


Understood, Not Questioned

by Diary



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Bechdel Test Fail, Bottle Episode Fic, Canon Queer Character, Conversations, Disturbing Themes, Gen, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6509176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during season 3, Jake and Tom talk about the former killing James Novak, Shelby Moss, and Vanessa Chandler. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understood, Not Questioned

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Scandal.

Abruptly, Jake says, “You didn’t know.”

Tom looks over. “Sir?”

“That I killed James Novak.”

“No, sir. Was I supposed to?”

“No,” Jake sighs. He places papers in a briefcase, locks it, and hands it to Tom.

“Is there anything else, sir?”

“What did you think of Novak?”

“I didn’t know him personally. He was good at his job, and he had the ear of one of the most powerful men in play.”

“What did you think of his marriage?”

“Cyrus genuinely loves him. I could see he genuinely loved his daughter, but in all honesty, I never paid much attention to him.”

“That’s not what- never mind. You can go.”

Tom hesitates. “Some of our presidents liked men, sir. I’m sure, once there have been a few female presidents, there will be some who like women. In many ways, the republic is modelled after ancient Greece. They had a rather different view on such things than the majority of the American public does.”

Jake lets out a shaky breath. “I carefully considered my options, and I decided James Novak, Shelby Moss, and Vanessa Chandler had to die. David Rosen is still alive. Putting aside the fact three innocent people are dead, how does that look to you, Tom?”

“I don’t understand, sir,” Tom answers. “In more ways than one. I knew they were threats but not to what extent. You made the decision to kill them. It isn’t my place to question that. You made the decision to leave Rosen alive, and it isn’t my place to question that, either. With respect, my job isn’t to assess such things, it’s to gather intel and follow whatever orders the people making such assessments give.”

“Right,” Jake says. “Humour me here. A gay man, an Asian-American woman, another woman, and a straight, white man are all classified as threats. Which is the most dangerous?”

“Statistically, the straight, white male, but without knowing more about the people in question and what they pose a threat to, I can’t give a definitive answer,” Tom answers.

“Do you think Rowan would have made the same call I did?”

“The previous Command choose several presidents who enacted laws putting numerous black and Latino citizens in prison and on death row, made it harder for people to escape poverty, and decreased the educational and employment opportunities of women. I can’t say whether he would or wouldn’t have, but I’m fairly confident in saying, if he did, he wouldn’t be facing the same ethical dilemma over his actions you are.”

Jake focuses on Tom’s face. “And you don’t ever question following people like him and me?”

Tom is quiet for a moment. “It must be nice for those who truly believe that every person could live in freedom and peace if only humanity would finally come together. Humanity is never going to come together. People in our country are among the freest in the world. Not completely free. No one anywhere, ever, will ever be. But it truly is the land where even a poor person of colour has a slim chance of rising high and women who are hurt might be able to find justice. Where men and women who prefer their own have a chance at living openly in safety. The cost of all of that is blood shed and actions ordinary people would find despicable committed. This is something I’ve understood since I was a small child, sir. I’ve never been one to question what I understand.”

“Thank you, Tom.” Jake waves him away.


End file.
